Training Days
by MissMarquin
Summary: A collection of One Shots, set in HeartGold/SoulSilver. Based on the 100 Themes challenge.
1. Introduction

He remembered when he first saw her. The girl had been cute, but aggravating. He watched as she poked fun at her little Cyndaquil. His mouth twisted in slight disgust. Nothing bothered him more than blatent happiness, and her face was practically glowing. She had tickled the little fire rat's stomach and looked away, almost feeling sick.

His thoughts shifted as he thought about the first time they spoke. Running from New Bark town with haste, he had bumped into at the entrance to Cherrygrove city.

"Watch it," she had yelled, pulling herself up from the ground. He spat in disgust. Of all the people to run into, especially at a time like that. It was awful timing. He tried to move out of her way. "No you don't!" she yelled again. "Apologize!"

He had narowed his eyes, and instead decided to settle the matter with a battle.

The next thought was the Burned Tower in norther Ecruteak City. He had tried to see the majestic legendary pokemon, but he hadn't even gotten close. Instead they chose the girl, and his heart twisted with a feeling of despair and anger. Was he not good enough? Whjy the bubbly, irritating girl?

Then he thought of the Radio Tower, crawling with Team Rocket agents. "I'm not one of them, you idiot," she had muttered in a low voice. He'd run across her in their uniform. "I'm infiltrating them. Not like you'd care, in any case."

He didn't really care about her intentions, but thought to himself that she needed to be more careful. In the basement of the Underground, however, she had proven that she was perfectly fine of taking care of herself, when she pummeled him once again at battle. No matter what he tried, he could not defeat her and her pokemon. He had stalked away as she cooed to her companions, wishing them job-well-dones and compliments.

Victory Road was when he realized that their meeting hadn't been accidental. It was as if some force kept driving them together, trying to show them that they could help each other. She had certainly helped him. He stood there, once more defeated and he relalized that his way had been wrong. Fate had kept introducing them to each other, to show him this, but he had never listened.

"I get it now," he muttered.

Crystal had smiled at him that day, for the very first time. And he wished he could have preserved that moment for eternity. This girl, that made him feel so many conflicting things, had dug her way into his heart everytime that they had met each other.

But he hadn't played the hero that day, and professed his feelings for her, or how much she had meant to him. He just smiled the tiniest of smiles and turned around and walked away, defeat hanging over his head like a dark cloud.

When they met again, pushed together once more like fate liked to do, that's when he'd tell her.


	2. Love

_****_**A/N- Back with another one shot! I'm sure if I'm any good at these, so if I am, let me know! I'd like feedback. **

_**Love**_

Gold had loved her since they were six years old. She had come to his rescue, showing off a Pidgey that had been chasing him. She had looked like a knight that day, her hair flying behind her fiercely and her face set with a kind of determination he had never seen before. It was love at first sight.

And she knew. He knew that she knew, but still, after all these years, the feelings that were there went unspoken.

And then that _man_ came along. The man with the fiery red hair, and the gaze so intense, it could melt you into a puddle with a mere glance. Well, it didn't melt him, but he had seen Crystal under it's control. He had only met _him_ once or twice, but he knew.

There was something hanging in the air between them as well, and there had been for awhile. Maybe that's why Crystal had never uttered a word about anything. It was obvious that she didn't feel the same that he did about her. She was completely and utterly in love with _him_.

Which brought him to where he was that day, sitting in the Pokemon Center of Goldenrod City. Crystal sat across from him, twiddling her thumbs nervously. She wore a nice business suit that was crisp and professional. It complimented her well enough, but he still didn't think that department store retail was the job for her. He eyed the ring on her finger with an angry glance.

"Crys, you know that I don't approve of him."

She let out a cold laugh. "And what would you know?" she asked. "You barely know him."

"He's mad, Crys. Evil even. He's not a good person, never has been and never will be. Remember how he treated his pokemon at first? Hell, he stole from Professor Elm!"

"Silver isn't like that anymore."

Gold dragged his hand down his face. "People don't change, Crys! They can't!"

She considered a moment before she answered. "No, they don't. But they can grow, and that is what he has done. He's grown into a better person, and he will continue to grow. It is what he wants to do."

"It's not what he wants to do," Gold replied. "He's forcing himself to do it, for you!"

"For me," she repeated. "I suppose your right. I like to think that he's doing it for himself as well."

Gold didn't reply immediately. She was frustrating him, with her circular logic and severe stance on the matter. He reached out and grabbed her hand. She let out a small gasp as he held it softly in his fingers. "I love you," he told her.

Her gaze fell and she said, "I know."

"I have for the longest time," Gold said.

"I know," Crystal repeated.

"Don't you love me?" he asked.

"Of course I do," she responded, sounding almost insulted.

"Then why him?"

She pulled her hands away from his and settled them in her lap. "Because he was the one that needed me."

Gold' eyes flashed. "I need you too!"

She shook her head and said, "Not in the same way. Look at you, you're successful and have a good life. You have family and friends and you have a place to call home. Silver has none of that. I am his home."

"But—"

"You grew too," she said suddenly, cutting him off. "You used to always just agree with me, following my every thought and decision blindly. You never spoke for yourself, but look at you now. You've grown in your own way, just like Silver has grown in his. Perhaps it's time you've grown out of this childhood crush."

"You know that I can't do that. You know that I won't!" Gold pleaded, but she shook her head again.

"Not now," she told him. "But you will eventually. Gold, I won't choose you, I can't. I'm sorry." Gold started to protest, but she reached out and grabbed his hand. "Gold," she started softly, "You are my closest friend. I don't want to lose you over this. I'm not asking you to accept him, I'm just asking you to accept that this is my choice. Follow me one more time."

Gold mulled over his conflicted feelings and then pulled his hand away from hers. He face fell slightly. "I can't, Crys," he told her.

She looked down and away from him. Slowly, she picked up her purse and stood. Turning her back on him, she said, "Good bye Gold. I love you." And then she was gone.

"I love you too," he whispered as she walked out of his life.


	3. Light

_**Light**_

She was always so radiant. Her smile, her demeanor, the way she spoke, everything about her pulsed with this brilliant and bright light. At first, it had blinded him, hurt him even. He wanted to avoid her, to ignore her and tell himself that she didn't exist. But after awhile, he couldn't help himself. He was drawn to her, like a plant is to sunlight. She provided him warmth and a love that he had never known before.

She was the reason that he had come out of his shell, and changed himself. She taught him that he wasn't like his father, nor did he have to be. She taught him that Pokemon where to be loved, as you could love a person.

It was a hard emotion for him. He had never known love, only anger and hate, and it was a hard emotion to grasp and comprehend. At first, he was confused about his feelings for the girl. So bright and cheery, and always blinding him with a brilliant radiance that only she emitted.

Now he knew he couldn't live without her. So he continued to grow, accepting her sunlight and gowing with a newfound strength like the little sapling he was. And eventually, he'd be a mighty Redwood, someone who could protect her and take care of her with a strength and fervor he had never felt before.

She was his sun, his bright light, and a beacon that lit up his stormy heart.


	4. Dark

_**Dark**_

He was the darkest thing she had ever come across.

When she was a child, the dark in her room used to scare her, but as she grew older, she realized that it was just an irrational, childhood fear. Darkness wasn't a bad thing, it only cast shadows.

So, when she met him, she wasn't scared. The dark cloud that followed him didn't cause to shiver in fear, or shrink away. She embraced the darkness almost as if it comforted her. And in a way, it did. It was quiet and thoughtful almost, and it always showed it's true nature. It never hid itself.

And so she fell for whom Gold had called, 'Tall, Dark and Brooding'. But it was the darkness that she liked. It was so different from her cheery brightness that she couldn't help but be intrigued. So she continued to tease and rassle with it. She wanted to learn more and more, and then finally, she realized that the darkness had had her in it's grip this whole time.

And he didn't seem to mind her sunshine shining through him. For it's only through the sunshine that the dark can live through the day and cast it's shadows.


	5. Break Away

_**A/N- Still no reviews? How disappointing! Oh well, that's the nature of writing fanfiction, ne? This next little diddy... I'm not sure how it turned out. I had had a very different plan originally, and as I wrote it, it just evolved into what it is now, instead. Silly, really, but I personally liked the way it turned out. I'm trying to keep them in character, but it's hard. Pokemon characters tend to be a little two dimensional sometimes, and it can be hard to draw on their personalities, especially since Crystal didn't have much of one in the original game. **_

_**I really would love some feedback! What did you like, what did you not like? Any spelling/grammar mistakes? I don't have spellcheck, so if you find something, let me know and I'll fix it and credit you!**_

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><p><em><strong>Break Away<strong>_

Becoming the Champion of the Pokemon League seemed like it had happened so long ago. Crystal found herself at the Dragon's Den, just north of Blackthorn City. She thought back to how she had found herself here—it had been just after being inducted to the Hall of Fame. Lance gave her a tight hug and congratulations, and she had grabbed her bag and peeked into it to make sure everything was in order. There she saw a small note, a piece of folded paper, tucked into one of the pockets neatly. She hadn't noticed it before.

_Dragon's Den,Tuesday or Thursday, _it had said, scribbled in small and tidy writing. She didn't recognize it. Curious though she was, she had other affairs to take care of before trekking on a new sort of adventure. She went home, took a much needed vacation, spent some time with her mother… and completely forgot about the compelling note that she had found tucked away in her bag. Until she found it one night in her room while cleaning, shoved into a desk drawer underneath some unused Lure Balls. She picked it up and studied it again before deciding it was time to see what this note was all about.

The next Tuesday, she flew to the Dragon's Den on her beloved Pidgeot and entered the dank cave. It smelled like mildew and something else, but she couldn't put her finger on it. While is wasn't unpleasant, it certainly was strong, and she wiggled her nose slightly as she took a breath.

She and Quagsire swam out to the shrine, where she found a man kneeling over an alter of a sort, his hands pressed together in a silent prayer. His fiery red hair stood out brilliantly, and she held her breath as she took him in. How long had it been since they last saw each other? Victory Road, where she had beaten him for the last time, and he had stalked off, a small smile on his face. It had puzzled her. Usually their bouts ended in nasty words, threats and name-calling, but that time he had told her she had been right and had just up and left.

It had bothered her enough that she didn't even make it to Koga in her first run at the Elite Four.

"You made it," he said, standing and brushing his knees off. He turned to look at her, and it struck her that something about him was different. He carried himself differently, or maybe it was that his face looked softer than it's usual hardened gaze.

"Silver," she breathed, taken aback by his subtle changes.

"It took you long enough," he said coolly, taking a step towards her. "I slipped that note into your bag right before you challenged the Elite Four. Congratulations, by the way."

She blushed slightly in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I had things to take care of. Mother, family, you know…"

"Ah, yes," he said. "Things I wouldn't understand."

She frowned slightly. That's not what she had meant, but she still felt silly for saying it that way. While Silver wasn't necessarily a sentimental person, she knew it still stung when he reminded that he had no family.

"I train here," he said suddenly, breaking her from her thoughts. "I like the quiet and the solitude, and the priests of the shrine don't seem to mind. You were right all along."

"Right about what?" she asked, slightly confused. He smiled that small smile again and stepped closer once more.

He looked at her, his crisp blue eyes boring into her. "I love my Pokemon," he told her. He crossed the rest of the space between them until he stood right before her. "I always had, but didn't realize it. I didn't know what I was feeling. I thought that caring for them was a weakness, and that I needed to push it away. Now I'm trying to embrace it. But it's not easy."

Crystal swallowed a lump in her throat. "Love never is," she replied.

"No…" he said softly. "You helped me."

"I tried," Crystal told him sincerely. "I knew you could do it. Silver, why am I here? Why did you ask me too—" She stopped dead when he reached out to cup her cheek in his hand. It was warm against her cold cheek, and her breath caught in her throat. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers, ever so softly, almost asking permission. He smelled like cinnamon and spice, and she closed her eyes and fell into the sensation head first, wrapping her arms around his neck.

And then he pulled away, surprised that she had responded so positively. "Crys, I can't do this."

Her eyes flashed, insulted, the feeling of being taken advantage of creeping up through her spine. How could he just kiss her like that and then pull back, telling her to forget it?

He sighed and pulled away, but she reached out and grabbed him, holding him firm. He was stronger though, and yanked away from her grasp.

"There are things that I don't understand, that I'm trying to understand. I don't get these feelings. These… it's different than what I feel for my Pokemon, and much more confusing."

"You love me," she stated simply. He sighed and looked away. She smiled wryly. "Hooked by the woman you think you can't have?"

"And yet, you still wanted to tell me. Why would you do that, if you were only going to decided it can't work? It's not fair to play with my feelings like that." He looked so conflicted, she immediately regretted asking. She ran to him and pulled him into a tight hug, holding him close. Hesitantly he put his arms around her.

"This isn't saying it won't work eventually," he said softly into her ear. "It just can't work right now. I'm so confused about everything, that I don't need the extra worry about you."

"But you _do_ love me, right?" she asked softly.

She felt him smile against her head. "Of course I do," he whispered into her ear. "You're the only person who has ever believed in me."

"Then why—"

"I'm not ready. I realize that now. I honestly didn't think you'd kiss me back. I actually had hoped you'd push me away, so I wouldn't have to deal with this." He pulled away and looked at her steadily. "Crys, I'm making a promise to you. We… this, it can't work right now. But when I figure things out, I'll come back to you, I promise."

She lowered her gaze and said, "This is about your father, isn't it?"

He let out a sigh. "No and yes. It's about a lot of things, but mostly about me. And you. And this, and how I'm not ready for it. I'm still not the person I want to be for you."

Crystal lifted her gaze to look at him and he smiled. It was the first genuine smile she had ever seen on his face. Not a smirk, or a quirky little turn of the lips, but a full-blown smile of happiness. It suited him, she decided. Slowly, she pulled away and wiped at a tear that managed to slip down her face.

"Pinky promise?" she asked, holding out her pinky. Chuckling at her childish request, he hooked his pinky around hers and gave it a good squeeze.

"Pinky promise," he said, leaning forward to brush a kiss against her forehead. She smiled and he pulled away. "I have to break away now," he whispered. She nodded and he stepped back, turning on his heel to head for the entrance of the cave.

Crystal stood there, thinking. She was shocked, hurt, annoyed, in love—feeling every emotion at once and she also felt a sort of numbness. She held her pinky to her heart and smiled, happy. She turned on her heel to follow suit, planning on heading back to her home, a slight skip in her step.


End file.
